Passages
by Helena Mira
Summary: Tired of waiting for the Professor to propose, Nanny creates a situation that ultimately leads to one of shortest engagements in history
1. Chapter 1: Commitment

_Nanny has grown tired of waiting for the Professor to officially pop the question, so she takes matters into her own hands, leading to one of the shortest engagements in history. This is a multiple-chapter story that will be posted gradually._

_Warning: 'M' rating is based on some very descriptive love scenes._

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from them._

**Passages **

**Chapter 1: Commitment**

Following the departure of Cholmondeley and the threat that his coming had caused to the blossoming romantic relationship between Nanny and the Professor, and after a couple of months had passed, things once again settled into their normal routine. Since the crisis was over, much of the anxiety that had been created when Phoebe had been anticipating his arrival, not to mention coping with his presence, had also passed.

Once he was gone, however, she was drained. The summer months had been filled with their own drama. After nearly six months of moving from one traumatic event to the next, her emotional resources were empty and she was physically exhausted. She was fortunate to be living with a family that cared so much about her. She was also in love with the most wonderful man in the world and he returned her feelings in kind.

Once school started again and the new routine established, she finally began to feel more like her old self. She was no longer physically wiped out by simply getting through her typical day. She could go through several days at a time without being overcome by the tremendous sadness that remembering her parents could cause.

She was more relaxed, less tense, and much less obsessed with the idea that her relationship with the Professor must be definitively settled as soon as possible. She no longer felt that urgent desire to marry and have children. She was secure in the knowledge that it would happen. She just didn't know when. However, she was now beginning to feel that the tension and urgency of those earlier months had perhaps been the only thing that ever moved things forward.

It was not as if the Professor took her or their relationship for granted. In fact now that her mood had improved, he was beginning to show his feelings of impatience in their present "holding pattern" by what she considered to be unproductive ways. His attention to her shifted between the playful and the sensual. In front of the children, he would take a good deal of pleasure out of suddenly grabbing her for a kiss. In fact he had finally begun to figure out how her mind worked and would often fix another thought in it so that he would catch her off guard. The kids all found it very amusing.

When they were alone however, each encounter became more intense. Alone they stirred each other ever more powerfully. The feeling of his arousal against her body made her long for him to complete the act, but he held back. She knew that he was still fearful that she wasn't ready. But she knew that she finally was. She was longing to simply move forward, to end the suspense. She wanted him as completely as she knew he wanted her.

Finally she decided that enough was enough. If she didn't take things into her own hands, nothing would ever happen to move the relationship forward. Their days and nights were so filled with work, commitments, and the needs of others, that it seemed that their own relationship never got the time it deserved. She knew that if she didn't act soon, it might move so far down the priority list that it wouldn't be seen until the end of the semester, if not later.

She was deeply in love with Hal. She knew what she wanted, in fact what they both wanted, and she decided to go after it. Skillfully arranging that all the children would be out of the house overnight one Friday, she made her plans. An elegant dinner at home and a cozy night by the fire would perhaps help her achieve her goal. She wanted him to take her fully and completely. She viewed this as a sacred act, to be shared with one's life partner, not only for the sensual pleasure of it, but for the blessing of children. She was not making this choice lightly or without thought. It was time.

She was no longer prepared to wait for an engagement ring or a wedding. She knew that they would happen in time. But in what time she had no idea. Despite the lack of these outward signs of commitment, she knew that for a long time they had had an understanding that went beyond words, ceremonies, and symbols. That all of that had not taken place was due to less the Professor's complacency that life was settled and more with his focus on trying to keep his professional life in order. The fact that he had yet to find the perfect engagement ring was not helping the matter along either.

Mathematician and scientist though he might be, he was also very disorganized. He was able to disguise it under an apparent mask of efficiency, but she was really the one who kept his life in order. When he wasn't home, she went into the study and tidied it up. While he was initially bothered by her intrusion into his space, he finally realized that he could find things. His personal affairs were not much better. While he was ready to seize any opportunity that presented itself for engaging in a little hanky-panky, he never seemed to plan anything. Or if he did plan something, he became so obsessed with making it perfect, that he never finished. Therefore she decided to make the first move.

Her friend Joni had given her a rather graphic description of what to expect. She was a little nervous about the pain, but she had been promised that it would pass. After all these years with her desires held in abeyance, now was the time to set them free. And of course, Hal was the only man she trusted to do that. Considering the intimacy of a man actually entering her body and leaving his seed, potentially to grow, she wondered how other women could enjoy multiple partners. However since she was a private person about all of her other affairs, perhaps it was in her nature to entrust herself to one man who would not only get pleasure from the use of her body, but would also cherish, protect, and respect it.

She had literally searched the world for Hal. Now was the time to declare victory and make things permanent. She tried to fool herself into believing that tonight was all about the physical union, but in truth she knew that once it had happened, Hal would want to marry her quickly. And she wanted to be married quickly. She had her own reasons for wishing to control the kind of wedding they had and she knew that if the engagement, when it finally happened, was to last too long, that she would lose control of that. And knowing Hal as she did, there could potentially be a large amount of time between the engagement and the wedding.

Thus on the appointed night she managed to surprise him. He was pleased to discover the children out when he came home and a special dinner waiting for him. With his usual focus on his academic life, he had somehow missed that fact that each kid had something different to do and some place to go overnight. In the candlelight he looked into her eyes and kept picking up her hand to kiss it. She was beautiful. Her soft, blonde curls fell loose around her face, and she was wearing one of her soft white blouses. Her smile was gentle and provocative at the same time. Her very being seemed to radiate with passion. In the back of his mind he knew it. She was ready.

The wine she had chosen not only affected him, but her. She almost never drank any kind of alcohol when working as a nanny. She didn't realize it, but she was looking at him with "bedroom eyes," those tantalizing gazes that promised to fulfill all of his wildest dreams. After dinner she cleared the table and came back to lean over him, surrounding his shoulders with her arms. Whispering in his ear, she suggested that he build a fire while she did something upstairs. With a quick nip at his ear, she left room knowing that he would do what she asked.

For his part, the Professor, warmed by the wine and her intoxicating presence went to the living room and started the fire. The wood caught quickly and began to burn brightly. Realizing that they were alone in the house, with no possible interruptions, he began to feel an internal fire beginning to glow. Knowing Phoebe as he did, he realized that she must have something special planned. Just as he was getting up from the hearth, he heard her footfall on the stairs. It had been several months since she had come down in her great-great-grandmother's wedding dress looking exquisite, but what he saw now took his breath away.

The white garment she wore was long, but what it covered, it seemed to reveal even more. The silky, diaphanous material clung to her every curve. It left nothing to the imagination. Most revealing were her eyes. Within their deep blue depths he read her amorous intent. It was compelling and he finally realized that she would no longer be denied. She stood before him, trembling in anticipation. She was presently herself to him as the lover he had always known she would be. The inevitable must now happen. She was ready.

Silently taking her hand, he led her to the floor before the fireplace. He could feel the tension in her fingers. This was an enormous, life changing step for her. Slowly she lay back on the rug and held out her arms. What could he do? They had waited too long. Too many times they had come to the edge of their desire and then stood back. He knew that if he failed to take what she was offering him, that she would be cruelly disappointed.

"I am giving myself to you. Take me," she said quietly. Despite the seductive dress, her declaration was simple and straightforward. There was no way to refuse. This was a huge risk that she was taking. He had said so many times that he would not take her until they were safely married. But tonight was different. She had prepared herself and planned this moment with care. She was ready.

Looking at her he felt the familiar ache his groin. But tonight, no cold shower would relieve it. She was so beautiful. It was not just her deep blue eyes and soft blonde hair, it was her vulnerability. She was completely opening herself to him in heart, body, and soul. She was waiting for him to enter her. It was time.

Tonight, she alone could satisfy his desire. He fell into her waiting embrace, putting his full weight on her, and, in between deep sensual kisses, said softly, "Yes," over and over. This time it was she who molded his body to hers. She was leaving him no choice. The time to consummate their love, the as yet unspoken commitment to one another, was now. She was ready.

The light in the room was low. The light from the fire cast a warm glow on their bodies. The white gown came off; it had served its function. She lay back before him in all her glory, her golden curls sprawled around, and watched as he shed his own clothes with open curiosity. It occurred to him that she had never seen a real man undressed before, or if she had, it had not been as a lover. Deep inside it pleased him to be the first. She must have read his mind, because she smiled seductively and with obvious pleasure at what she saw. Her admiration added to his pleasure. For a moment he lay beside her, lifted up on his elbow, simply enjoying the view. With longing in her eyes, she whispered, "Please."

With his finger, he gently traced the curves on her body. When he sensed a response of pleasure, he lingered over the spot. Then she parted her lips, waiting for his kiss. She would no longer wait.

Phoebe trembled with anticipation. Once the gown was off, there were no longer any barriers. His eyes were looking at her, taking in every inch of her with desire and admiration. No man had ever seen her like this. This was what she had truly saved for him and now it was his alone. She might have begun as the seductress, but now their roles were reversed. It was he who must lead her down the last mile of the journey to fully realizing her potential as a woman. Her mind and body were flooded with new sensations. Unsure of how to proceed next, she looked at him with longing and whispered, "Please."

His first touch was a release. She could feel the brush of his fingertips as he made initial exploration of her body. She allowed him his play until she could stand it no more. It was time.

As his lips met hers, she drew him down and for the first time felt his body in direct contact with her own. She could sense the hunger in him that had been building for months. She felt her body respond in a completely new way. She suddenly realized that she did not need to think any more. Her body knew what to do even if her mind didn't. She let go and surrendered herself to her feminine instincts.

Now that the moment was imminent, neither felt in a hurry. Hal knew that she was a virgin, but she seemed to have no fears, no second thoughts. There was nothing tentative in her kiss or her touch. He could feel her thrill to his every touch. She was both exciting and excited. He felt her desire. But it was more than the purely physical act. Once he entered her, he knew that she would be his alone. He could sense that in her old-fashioned values that this act was now for him and no other. She was committing herself to a lifelong fidelity to him. And he would give her nothing less in return.

It was a heady sensation, the idea that this woman had such deep, long suppressed needs only he could fill. And oh, how he wanted to fill them and her! This time she had no trouble finding him and no fear in exploring him. She knew that his strength and manhood were powerful, and soon they would hers alone. He groaned as she discovered the sensation anew, no longer afraid of what it meant. It crossed her mind that the first thrust would break new ground, but she wanted him now.

The tension built as they moved towards the moment of complete physical intimacy. He knew exactly how to touch her so that she would be open to receive him. He could feel her grow moist, which would add to her comfort. His need of her was offset by the fear that he would not do it right. It was one thing to make love to an experienced woman, but the one in his arms had never felt a man inside her before. She was soft and warm, her responses indicating to him that she had let go. However in the end, his masculine instincts overtook him and he was no longer thinking with his mind.

He tried to restrain himself, to enter her gently for the first time, but just like her, the wait for him had been too long. He heard her gasp at the first thrust, and then moan, he hoped with pleasure. It took a moment for her to relax so that they could fully enjoy this first magical coupling. Soon they found their rhythm. They fit perfectly together. It was almost as if they had known each other before, and this was a reunion of bodies and souls.

It was only a matter of time before one of them would be overwhelmed and yield. So lost were they in their enjoyment of each other that it was hard to know which surrendered first, but it didn't matter. The pleasure that they shared in one another was mutual. There was no need for words. Their bodies spoke to one another at their own level.

When he was spent, he relaxed. Breathing heavily, he rolled off her and then reached back for her, to hold her in his arms. Breathing a little heavily herself, she clung to him. He sensed that insecurity seemed to have come over her. She had been so confident when she had presented herself to him for that first time as his lover. Yet he sensed in her what he believed were the doubts of a first time lover.

She was the first woman whom he had ever initiated into this ultimate act of womanhood, and he was her first man. She had the very natural desire to please yet was without the experience to recognize that more than satisfying him she had brought him to new heights. She had yet to learn that their love was so deep and so exclusive that there was no comparison with any other woman he had known. He sought to reassure her.

"That was beautiful," he said quietly. "You are beautiful."

He knew that there was still a question in her mind, but he was not ready to answer it. He gently caressed her soft skin, this time not to stimulate, but to sooth. He held her more closely, more tenderly. He wanted her to know that now she had presented him with this most precious gift that he had accepted it and would cherish her for the rest of their lives. However, before he responded to her question, he needed to set his own mind at ease.

"Phoebe?" his voice called to her. She looked up.

"Did it hurt?" his voice was filled with concern.

She looked away, fearful that the truth would be revealed in her eyes. She didn't know what to say. When he first entered it had indeed been painful, it was obvious that her body had not fully known what the actual sensation would be and had been startled. Fortunately there were other instincts for her to rely on. Thankfully her body knew his and was able to act regardless. In fact until he released her there had been some discomfort. Not knowing what he expected to hear, she admitted, "A bit."

"I was afraid that it would. I had always heard that it would be . . . uncomfortable . . . for a woman the first time," he said gently, as he pulled her more closely to him, stroked her hair softly, and kissing her forehead as if she was a child. She could feel his protective instincts taking over and she loved him all the more. He made her feel safe.

"I'll . . . get used to it, I know I will, but haven't you ever . . .?" suddenly feeling shy she couldn't finish her question.

"No," he said. "You are the first woman that I ever have . . . taken for the first time. I wanted to be gentler, but I was so caught up in . . . you. It was impossible to hold back." After a pause, "From this moment, you are the only woman I will ever know this way. No other woman could possibly come close to you. You are my ideal match, my other half, not only in body, but in soul."

"You are the only man who will ever know me in this way," she replied quietly, with all the solemnity of a vow. She could feel his arms tightening around her.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Now your turn. What is it?"

She hesitated and then looking away again she said, "Was I . . . adequate? I know that you've had other women before . . . like this . . . I hope that I haven't disappointed you."

He wanted to laugh at her choice of words, but he knew that she was very serious. Gently turning her head back so that he could look into her eyes, he answered, "You were perfect and you are perfect. No woman has ever or could ever compare with you. Never doubt that."

A gentle smile filled her face. It clearly pleased her to have given him pleasure. Looking up at him like that, knowing that he had finally released her full womanhood, she seemed to glow. However, the floor was hard and his back was starting to hurt. The romance was starting to escape the moment.

"Unless you want to sleep here," he suggested. "We should go up to bed," then playfully, "Your bed or mine?"

"Yours," she answered immediately. "And who says all I want to do there is sleep?"

He looked down at her. Once again there was a passionate longing in her eyes, and he didn't want to waste any time going upstairs before he satisfied it. He immediately forgot about the pain in his back and drew her closer, determined to be gentler this time.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next morning she awoke to find him gazing down at her in wonder. "So last night wasn't a dream."

Reaching up to stroke his face she said, "Is this real?"

She pulled him down to her mouth. Feeling the passion welling within her again he did what any healthy man would do. Her hunger for him was all the encouragement he needed. It seemed that now that she had tasted what for years had been forbidden to her, she couldn't get enough. If she had waited longer than most women to give herself up, it certainly seemed that now that she had, she was trying to make up for lost time. The fact that all of desire was for him alone, made it all the more exciting.

She was completely honest in her enjoyment of the act, arching her back to receive him with an inborn instinct. As he explored her body, she explored his, delighting when she discovered the different ways that she could pleasure him as he did her. He found that there was something erotically compelling for him in the way she was using his body as her own personal laboratory as she investigated for herself the sensual responses of the male body. He could easily have guided her towards those actions that he found most pleasurable, however he found her trial and error method more exciting. He suspected that if he permitted her to carry on her own way, she might surprise him.

After, as he held her in his arms he said, "I must admit that I am somewhat amazed by the fiery woman I've released. Who would have thought that under that cool British exterior lurked such a hot-blooded, sensual woman."

"So much for stereotypes," she said with mock annoyance.

He laid back and held her closer. At this moment she was very precious to him. He would cherish her forever. However, as the full realization of the enormous step that they had just taken in their relationship struck him, his face began to cloud with concern. Involuntarily his hand wandered to her stomach. She closed her eyes and could feel his gentle caresses. She knew that he was trying to discern if the seed planted had taken root. Yet it was much too soon to know.

"Are you afraid that you may have given Prudence that baby sister she been looking for all these years?" she asked lightly.

He didn't answer right away and he hugged her a little tighter. His silence confirmed her hunch. Then he spoke,

"In waiting for the perfect moment, I can see that perhaps we waited too long, no I waited too long. I am afraid that we may now be in the very situation I had hoped to avoid."

"Oh Hal, you don't know that." she answered. At this moment, she didn't care. Nothing mattered but now. The future would take care of itself.

"True," he said, but he was thoughtful. He could feel her warm body and soft skin in direct contact with his own. The sensation was one that he had dreamed of for months, yet the actual feeling exceeded his imaginings. He knew that it was a sensation that he would enjoy for the rest of his life.

"Phoebe?" he asked.

"Yes?" she pulled herself up so that she was looking down on him, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. He looked up into her blue eyes, attempting to penetrate their depths with his gaze.

"Last night, when I entered you for the first time," he began softly. Her lips curved up at the memory.

"That was my commitment to you."

"I know," she said. "I would not have opened myself up to you, have permitted that you not only enter my body, but leave your seed to perhaps take root and grow within me, if I did not know that you were taking me, not for a moment, but for a lifetime."

"I am yours," he repeated, "For a lifetime. But to set the record straight, I did not take you. I gave myself to you and you gave yourself to me. There was no taking involved."

She smiled at him and said, "I know."

She leaned over to kiss him and he pulled her on top of him. As she was now able to press her lips down on his, she sought his mouth more and more deeply. As she arched her back and neck, he was able to trail his lips down her neck until he found what he was looking for. She moaned with pleasure as his lips found first one and then the other breast. They were soft and beautiful, like the rest of her.

Her body was responsive to every new sensation he tried with her. It sang with pleasure. Yet he did not want to beauty of the last twelve hours to be destroyed by the rumors and innuendos of those who did not know them. If she refused to look beyond the moment, then he must. When their lifelong commitment and its fruits were announced to the world, he wanted no taint on their names or reputations. For his part of the commitment, he knew that he must now protect her.

However at this moment, he felt incapable once more of restraining himself from his own impulses. Rolling back over, he prepared to take her again. He could feel her body trembling with anticipation below his. In between kisses, he managed to restrain himself enough to softly whisper,

"My desire to have you completely, body and soul may have overwhelmed my desire to take things in their proper order, but I will make this right."

In response she murmured, "This is right. There has never been anything more right for me in my life."

In his mind he thought, you have no idea, my darling, of the worlds to which I will bring you. There is so much more that is right than you can even imagine.

They came together once more. With each coupling there was a deepened knowledge and recognition of one another. And when the intensity died down, a sense of contentment and fulfillment entered Phoebe and sank to her deepest core. Her wanderlust dissipated because she was home. One does not need to wander, when one has reconnected with the other. In the future, the only wandering that she would do, would be at the side of her man.

But their bubble of warmth and passion could not remain intact forever. All such bubbles are fragile and must break. She was so comfortable lying there in his bed that she would happily stayed there all morning, talking and making love when the spirit moved them. But she knew that that was not possible. Getting up, she suggested that they have breakfast before the kids came home. He didn't have to think twice about the fact that he didn't want the kids coming home and finding them in bed together before the wedding. Looking at her as she prepared to return to her room to get ready for her day, he decided that he had no intention of waiting any longer for the wedding.

After she left the room, he let his full concern wash over him. She had no idea of the dangers that lay ahead, or if she did, she was choosing to ignore them. This was his fault. He had known that she was ready, and yet he had chosen to put everything else ahead of her. She was his to cherish and protect, and he had fallen down in this responsibility. In his quest for perfection he had missed the obvious. But perhaps it was not too late.

He could get a ring and become engaged to her today. He knew exactly what he wanted now and somehow knew that today he would find it. The bigger problem was the wedding. If they rushed into anything at this point and the nine months from now. . . It would be a declaration to the world that he had lost control. Or worse yet, that she was not the woman everyone thought she was. It would also open the door to questions of how long it had been going on.

He knew that she had no regrets. Her love for him was absolute. In fact it was only a few months ago that she had been begging him to take her in order to break her previous engagement. He had restrained himself then when the stakes were much higher. Why couldn't he have held himself back last night? It then occurred to him that often, once things got started, they often worked out, with solutions to seemingly impossible conundrums arising out of nowhere.

He knew that if he could keep his faith in the impossible that in the end things would work out for them, perfectly in fact. He said a silent prayer that God would hold in reserve that greatest blessing until the time was right. However, it was now time to act. It was time to worry less about perfection and more about outcomes. Hadn't Phoebe said that anything he did was perfect? She was ready. It was time. The first step was the ring . . .

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_To be continued . . ._


	2. Chapter 2: Engagement

**Chapter 2: Engagement**

By the time Prudence came in, the house was back in order. The Professor had gone out to play golf and Nanny was doing laundry.

"Did you and Daddy have fun last night?" asked the little girl, "Without us kids around?"

"In a manner of speaking," answered Nanny with a smile that Prudence was too young to interpret.

The afternoon passed and all the children had returned home. However, the Professor was late. He never stayed out past two.

"Maybe he picked up a second round, it's a beautiful day for it," said Hal.

"Poor Phoebe," teased Trelawney. "Not even engaged and already she's a golf widow."

"How can she be a widow if she hasn't been married?" asked Butch.

"Not a real widow," explained Hal. "A golf widow is someone whose husband spends so much time playing golf that he's never home."

"Who said anything about a golf widow?" asked the Professor cheerily as he walked in.

"Hi Daddy!" said Prudence. "We were afraid that you were so busy playing golf that Nanny was a widow."

"Well I've been busy," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But not playing golf."

He caught a stray curl from Nanny's hair, gave it a little tug and dropped his lips for a kiss. The kids looked at each other in amusement. They enjoyed these playful displays of affection, even Butch who really thought it was yucky. He was really only grossed out when they gave way to their more passionate instincts. But these little genuine signs of affection made them feel secure that soon Nanny would be their mother.

After dinner the Professor called Hal into his study.

"Hal, I would like to take Nanny out for a drive tonight, up into the hills where we can really see the stars," he started.

"It's about time Dad," answered his son with a smile.

"Yeah, I know," he said without thinking, then looking at his son's face. "That's not what I meant!"

"I know what you meant Dad, and don't worry, we'll be fine here," answered Hal as he walked out, a knowing look on his face.

That young man is growing up too fast, thought the Professor. But he also knew that if he weren't old enough, they wouldn't be able to take a spontaneous drive into the hills.

Nanny was pleased at the idea of a drive and using Arabella so that they could see the stars better with the top down. It was a bit cool, but neither minded. She was just happy that he was making some time for them to be alone and away from the children. Stargazing was one of their favorite activities. While it was easy enough to do in the backyard, the night sky was so much clearer from the hills outside the city, away from the light pollution and smog.

When he reached one of the best vistas along the road, they both leaned back. As always, the Professor put his arm around her and she made herself comfortable in what had become "her spot." There was an exact spot in his right side where her head fit perfectly in the hollow by his shoulder and his arm could relax comfortably around her.

She was taking in the heavens in all their beauty. She was caught up in the stillness of the evening and the stars shining like diamonds on black velvet, when she felt something cool slip over the ring finger on her left hand, which was resting on his knee. Before she raised her hand, she knew what it was. Lifting hand, she could see the sapphire in the center with five diamond points of the star glistening in the pale evening light. She was too moved to speak.

"Every time you look at your hand I want you to think of all these moments that we have shared like this and will share for the rest of our lives. Phoebe, my beloved, my one and only, will you marry me?"

She was so choked with emotion that she could barely get out the word, "Yes."

But there was no need for more words. The Professor's lips were on her own in a deep lasting kiss. When he was done thoroughly kissing her, he spoke again.

"It has matching bands for each of us. I really don't want to wait to get married, but a wedding will take time to plan," he said.

"Hal," she said seriously. "I've been thinking about this, and I don't want a wedding."

He looked at her in amazement.

Knowing what he was thinking, she said, "I really just want to elope."

With a sigh of relief he looked forward. Looking back he said, "Do you really think that everyone's going to let us get away with eloping? I know for a fact that they're hoping for a big wedding."

"I know, but I don't even want the trouble of planning a small wedding," she answered with her usual practicality. "This gets to be my choice, our choice. I'm presuming that you've already had a big wedding."

"Yes," he said grimacing at the memory. "My first wife seemed to enjoy all the fuss and bother. I only went through with it to make her happy."

"Then make me happy," she said. "I can get Emmeline here any time I want. She can say that she is spending the day with the kids, but I know that she'd stay the weekend. We can go off and get married and then tell them when we get back."

"And deal with the fallout," he said grimly, knowing how both families would react, not to mention the children. "Perhaps we could go to Pastor Paul or Pastor Jason if you prefer. Emmeline could be the witness and the kids could be there too."

"No," she said firmly. "That might be the way it would start, but it could very easily mushroom out of control. You have no idea of what is in Trelawney's mind for our wedding."

"And I probably don't want to know."

"Exactly, I doubt that you are capable of imagining what she is dreaming of," she affirmed.

"Do you think that she will forgive us?"

"Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. She and the other children, really just want to see us married. They will get over it quickly enough. Especially if we don't give them lots of time to get excited about something that won't happen," she said lightly. "Do you really want to wait, especially in light of your concerns from last night? Or do you want to make my dream come true?"

How could he say no? She was making all of his dreams come true. He could understand all of her points. It would also be a whole lot more romantic to escape on their own than to suffer through some circus that would only tire her out and make him cranky. They had not had much time for romance. Their lives had been so busy with everything else that it had taken him this long to get the engagement ring on her finger.

He also thought of all the stress and strain that she had gone through in the months prior to and then during the visit of her ex-fiancé. Once he was gone from their lives, she had been physically and emotionally drained. He had wanted to give her the space she needed to recover and didn't want to push her into another big change.

Yet once school had started, the time began to get away from him again. It had been difficult for him to wait up to this point, but he couldn't figure out the perfect way to ask her. He also knew that if she hadn't taken the initiative last night, and for all intents and purposes seduced him, they wouldn't be sitting here right now. Truth be told, now that things were officially decided he really just wanted to marry her and get on with the rest of their lives.

Seeing that she was bringing him around to her way of thinking, she initiated a long, deep kiss. There would be a lifetime of these kisses. He knew that it was no longer just her kisses that he longed for. He thought of the soft, sweetness of her body and the wonder of waking up and discovering her in his arms. He had dreamed of her there so many times. And of course there was the issue of an early, although certainly not unwanted, pregnancy. He had already considered his son's question about birth control and still dismissed it out of hand. He would have her honestly, or not at all.

The last thought caused her to pull away and look at him in surprise.

"You wouldn't think of asking me . . ." she began.

"Never," he said firmly. "There is only one form of birth control that I would even consider. I do admit that last night makes it extremely difficult to consider now."

He looked deeply into her eyes so that she could truly see within his, the deep and abiding love that he felt for her.

"Part of the beauty of making love to you is the idea that we may be making so much more. I will not sacrifice any of that beauty for a purely physical experience," he softly said and once again drew her into a deep kiss.

Pulling back she said seriously, "In my mind, this is about marriage and the time after. All I need is a minister and a church. I can still wear my great-great-grandmother's wedding dress. But I won't have to worry about you spilling something on it later."

"You're right about . . . Hey! I never told you that I spilled red wine on my wife's wedding dress," he said with mock amazement, pleased that the mood had lightened.

"Oh, you must have or how else could I have known?" she looked at him with large, innocent blue eyes.

"You'll pay for this," he threatened as he sought another long deep kiss.

"I'll remember this the next time I think about teasing you," she said when he was done.

"As a deterrent?"

"No, an incentive." She enjoyed their verbal sparring, their "head games" as their former counselor had called them. It was one of those things that she was looking forward to continuing for the rest of their lives.

"Well, if this is going to work, then it's going to be our turn to trick Hal and Trelawney. We'll need to pretend to plan a wedding and then pull our vanishing act," he said.

"Not too much planning," she said nervously. "That's what I want to avoid."

"But since Trelawney can see what's in your mind, won't it be easy for her to tell?" he inquired.

"Not as easy as you might think," she said. "My first natural response to just about anything she will suggest, is certain to be annoyance and apprehension. That's what she's expecting, in fact, she'll be trying very hard to set me ill at ease, just for her own amusement. All I have to do is let her think that she's done it and she won't look too much deeper. She'll be too focused on her own thoughts and opinions."

"Interesting how that works," commented Hal.

"Yes, it is," she replied slowly. "Which is why this charade really can't go on too long."

"Well, I don't want to wait too long anyway. I really liked waking up with you in my bed this morning." he agreed.

"I enjoyed being there," she said smiling at the memory.

"Can't happen again until we do the deed. I wonder how long it will take to get a license and the blood tests?"

"Too long for my taste probably. It's a pity tomorrow is Sunday." she answered.

"How long will it take to get Emmeline here?" he asked.

"Oh, I think that she'll get here pretty quickly when she knows what we want to do. This is the kind of thing that I know she'll approve of, especially since she would be my maid of honor if we had a big wedding," she replied with a smile.

"She hates big weddings too?"

"Loathes them. After her sister got married she told everyone that if she ever got married she would elope," answered Phoebe.

"I always knew I liked Emmeline."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When they arrived home, they discovered the four children sitting on the steps waiting for them.

"Hal, is this the way that you take care of things when I put you in charge? It's after midnight!" said the Professor with a bit of frustration. Nothing better to spoil a mood, he thought, than four curious children. In the back of his mind, he had hoped that he might slip her into his bed for a few extra hours of pleasure. He knew that it was reckless, but at this moment, knowing that the ring on her hand gave the world an open declaration of his intentions, for once he felt bold.

"Stars lovely then, Phoebe?" asked Trelawney. "You've certainly been gone . . . Oooooo!"

She picked up Phoebe's left hand that just happened to be at eye level for her, and gazed at the beautiful ring.

"Looks like she's doing a little stargazing of her own. Doesn't it?" the Professor asked Nanny.

"It's lovely, Professor. It's perfect!" Trelawney seemed genuinely overwhelmed.

The Professor reached over to put his arm around Nanny and kissed her cheek. The four children stood up, transfixed by the ring. Prudence recovered first.

"Does this mean that Nanny is finally going to be my Mommy?" she asked.

"Yes, I believe it does," said the Professor. "After the wedding of course."

Nanny and Trelawney were looking into one another's eyes.

"We'll have to have a smashing wedding!" said Trelawney. "The whole family will want to come."

"The whole family," said the Professor nervously. "That's quite a few, isn't it?"

"Oh it's at least . . ." began Trelawney and then catching her sister's eye, "quite a few."

"Well, I'm sure that Everetts are all going to want to be there. Only Grammy, Grampie, Uncle Bob, and Uncle Ben have actually met you," said Hal. "And then there is everyone at church and the university . . ."

"Now, Hal," said Trelawney, seeing the anxiety mounting in the faces of both Nanny and the Professor. "It's taken him this long to pop the question. Can you imagine how long it will take him to agree to a wedding date."

"Yeah," said Hal with false sadness. "I'll probably be in college."

"You can't wait that long!" cried Prudence. "Nanny, you don't want to get too old to have my baby sister."

"Now Prudence, I'm not that old," said Nanny, who then looked sharply at Trelawney who seemed to be stifling a laugh.

Hal was perplexed. Why did Nanny and her sister always look so funny or think it was a joke when the issue of age came up?

"Right now, I know four children who need to get right to bed or they'll be very sleepy in church tomorrow morning," said the Professor, hoping to shoo them upstairs so that he could snatch a few minutes alone with his fiancee before they went to bed themselves.

"Aw, c'mon!" said Butch. "You just got engaged. Why would you want to go to church?"

"Why Butch!" said Trelawney, "This will be the biggest news of the fall. And I'm sure that Phoebe will want to show everyone her exquisite ring. We should take a little visit to Montclaire as well. Aunt Lottie and Mrs. Darmstadt will never forgive you if they don't see that ring as soon as you have it."

"And now maybe they'll mind their own business and stay out of my love life," muttered the Professor.

"Oh, I think there's very little chance of that," said Trelawney to him quietly. Looking up, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "Well done!"

As the children scooted up the stairs, he turned to Phoebe and picked up her hand to admire it.

"It is a lovely ring. I hadn't realized it was so beautiful until I saw it in the full light. Look at the detail," she said.

"Why do you think that I was so late this afternoon? It took a while to choose the perfect ring," he answered.

"I love it almost as much as I love you," she said.

"I'll tell you something else that I am amazed that you hadn't figured out already," he said mischievously. "Even though I have been looking at rings for months, it wasn't until today, when I was determined not to come home without one, that I finally found exactly what I was looking for. Now isn't that a coincidence?"

She smiled demurely. Everyone in town knew that he had been looking for the perfect ring. In fact until a couple of weeks ago when she had finally called a halt to the teasing herself, it had been a running joke. It figured that all he needed was a little incentive. Reaching up to his shoulders, she firmly pressed her body against his and began to kiss him deeply. Recognizing her body instantly, his own reacted and he moaned, "You are going to drive me crazy."

Grasping his lips more firmly, she sought his mouth more deeply. With his hands he molded her more firmly into him.

"Now that I've had you," she whispered. "I want you again. All those children are sound asleep, I promise."

Taking his hand, she led him upstairs and past the two bedrooms, softly opening each door and peeking in. She was right, the kids were all completely crashed out. Putting her finger up to her lips, she pulled him into her own bedroom and closed and locked the door. He lay back on the bed and watched as she slowly and deliberately removed her clothes.

With only the moonlight streaming in the window she appeared silvery in the white glow. As ethereal as ever, she was exquisite. Her grace added charm to the picture as she stood before him, lovelier than a classical sculpture, and much warmer. He though that perhaps this was how Pygmalion felt as Galatea came to life. Lastly, she reached up and pulled the ribbon that tied back the front part of her hair so that it fell loosely over her shoulders as she shook it out. With a feline grace, she maneuvered herself on top of the bed and held out her arms to him.

He was enjoying her beauty. Once again, she lay before him, trembling with anticipation. Yet her face was more relaxed. The seductive look in her eyes was that of a woman who knew what she wanted and what she expected from her lover. It seemed odd to him as she lay there she was not yet his wife, but still his lover. However, she had the trust of a wife. She knew that they were bound together, body and soul, for the rest of their lives. A piece of paper might make it legal, but last night made it real. He could tell from her breathing that she wouldn't wait much longer. She wanted him to make the first move.

After he quickly removed his own clothes he sat up beside her and slowly drew his fingers, soft as feathers down the length of her body and up again. She arched with pleasure. Her eyes were filled with desire. Slowly drawing circles and softly caressing her he whispered, "Are you giving yourself to me again?"

Wordlessly she nodded, the invitation glowing in her eyes. He shifted his hand lower and she spread her legs. Touching her gently, he asked, "Are you opening yourself up to me again?"

He heard her gasp as he found the perfect spot to pleasure her. As his fingers lingered on the precise location, she moaned and arched. He shifted his hand. He whispered, "Does that feel good?"

She was incapable of answering, but her eyes expressed the exquisite arousal into which he was working her body. After the discomfort of the previous night, he wanted to make sure that she was ready for him. On the other hand, there were other pleasures that he wanted to save for their wedding night.

"I don't want to take you too quickly," he said in a husky voice. "I want to enjoy this, I want you to enjoy this. We don't know if we can be together like this again before the wedding night."

He watched her shiver at the words wedding night.

"Do you have a chill?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes," she said, the desire aching in her voice. "I need you to warm me."

He knew she needed more than his warmth and he was pleased to be the only man for whom she would open herself in this way. Stretching out beside her, he covered her body with his own. The intention to take her slowly was soon forgotten. The powerful urges overwhelming them left him no choice. Neither would be satisfied by anything less than the complete act.

Even as she arched to receive him, he was busy thinking of other ways to pleasure her. He was pleased to realize that she was not feeling as much discomfort as last night. She flinched a bit as he entered, but fell into their rhythm more easily. Oddly, that hadn't deterred her from luring him to her bed, not to mention into herself once more.

He knew that he couldn't spend the entire night in her bedroom, so he decided to make the most of his time there. Deep down he was pleased that he had discovered that he had committed himself to such a passionate lover. What they shared was exclusive, and that made it both exciting and precious at the same time.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Despite the late night, neither Nanny nor the Professor showed any sign of tiredness the next day. He was energized by their sexual encounter and she by the quiet joy she felt with his ring on her finger. He enjoyed watching as the other women at church "oohed" and "aahed" over the ring. He received quite a number of handshakes and frankly envious looks from the other men. The only man who seemed a little tentative was Pastor Paul. He called him off to the side to say a few private words.

"Professor, for once, I am going to intrude into your personal matters," he said. Looking at Nanny who was positively radiant he cautioned, "Don't waste any time marrying her. It is obvious that you've been careless. I'm not judging you, but you need to protect her."

The Professor smiled and said, "I will tell you a secret. She doesn't even know yet. I'm planning to marry her next weekend. She wants to elope to avoid a big wedding, and I plan to oblige her. I can't wait any longer and neither can she."

Pastor Paul nodded. "You're both ready. It sounds as though I won't have the pleasure of performing the ceremony, but it would mean a lot to me if I could give you both a special blessing the first Sunday that you return to church as man and wife."

"Thank you, Pastor," said the Professor. "That will mean a great deal to both of us."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The visit to the nursing home that afternoon was sheer bedlam. The children raced in ahead of Nanny and the Professor, calling for their friends even as they blurted out the news. By the time they arrived the rec room, Aunt Lottie and Mrs. Darmstadt were on their feet. Mrs. Kaufman was shaking her head and Mr. Just Jim was demanding a celebratory piece on the piano.

Trelawney obliged by first having Hal help her open up the baby grand and then with a flourish playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy. When she was finished, she gestured to Nanny and the Professor who delighted their friends by kissing. Butch began his usual routine of gagging noises, however he had made the mistake of standing too close to Aunt Lottie who gave him a fairly decent smack on the head and said, "Young man, respect your elders."

He opened his mouth to protest, but Mr. Just Jim caught him in time, "Son, to use one of your generation's favorite expressions, 'Cool it!'

Now that the ring was officially on her finger, Hal felt perfectly comfortable standing with his arm around Phoebe. She was glowing. As they talked, every once in a while she gazed up at him as if she couldn't believe that it had finally happened. Mrs. Kaufman was very obviously delighted. She had truly come to love Nanny as a daughter and seeing her radiant with joy, after months of sorrow, it filled her own heart with happiness. She knew that this was right. Nanny and the Professor might have seemed to be an unlikely pair, months ago, but she could see that they were truly each half of the same larger whole.

She thought back to how, over a year ago, he had been so furious with her when he discovered that she was not only encouraging the kids to fight city hall, she was leading the assault. Then there had been his fury at the way that she had called the television station and gotten Harvey Sloan to come out. In the end, he had helped the effort. The dynamic between the two at that point was casual, but anyone with two eyes could see the spark. It was only a matter of time before it was lit.

They looked very sweet sitting there together. She leaned comfortably on him and occasionally he would smooth her hair or kiss her head. She rested her hand on his knee and absentmindedly he picked it up and kissed it. Such gestures were more than lovers' gestures. Embedded in them was fondness and devotion that implied that this was no mere "flash in the pan" romance. This was a lifelong love.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Later that night Hal sat on the couch reading, with Phoebe curled up against him. On a normal night, he would be reading in bed, but if he did that now he would be alone. He suspected that once she was sharing his bed, he would no longer be reading. He had already begun to suspect that he was marrying a passionate lover. Her enthusiastic response to his lovemaking, assured him that she was a warm-blooded woman indeed. He knew that not many middle-aged widowers would have a shot at a girl like Phoebe. But she was not your average girl. He had discovered that she was a curious blend of solid, old-fashioned values and a dynamic woman of the twentieth century.

If she was entirely old-fashioned, then they would not even be together. She would have married her betrothed like a good daughter, and returned home. Yet, she had rebelled against marrying a man she did not love, and held out for the man she loved. In doing so, she had flaunted her family's view of what constituted an appropriate husband, and opted for a mixed marriage, whatever that meant.

If she was a truly old-fashioned girl, she would not have shared his bed until after the wedding. However she had freely chosen to lure, that was the only word for it, him to the lover's bed without the benefit of a wedding. She concluded that their commitment to one another was more of a justification for sleeping together than any piece of paper. But from now she would be entirely monogamous, as of course so would he. She had come to him intact, untouched by any other man. What other woman could possibly compare with his Phoebe?

She seemed unbothered by the fact that even now she might be "enceinte." In fact, her desire for a child was so great that deep down she was hoping that she was already in that state. Quite frankly, he had his own purely selfish reasons for wanting to keep her as she was, and some of them had nothing to do with gossip or the rumor mill.

He knew that once she reached that blessed state, she would likely become "unavailable" to him for more than a year. His first wife had shut down from the moment she knew that she had conceived to more than a year after the birth. It was no accident that Hal, Butch, and Prudence were so well spaced out. He at least wanted to have Phoebe to himself for a few months before he had to share her body with their child.

He turned his head slightly and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She nestled in a little closer. Finally giving up on reading, he put his book down and his arms completely around her.

Unprompted, she said, "I love you. I wish . . ."

"Me too . . ." he responded softly. "Soon."

With a deep sigh, she agreed, "Soon . . ."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_To be continued . . ._


	3. Chapter 3: Wedding Plans

**Chapter 3: Wedding Plans**

Fortunately, university professors have very flexible teaching schedules and office hours. It was not hard for the Professor to take time out in the middle of the day to take care of the blood tests and necessary paperwork for the wedding without raising suspicions. Since the children were all back in school there was no reason for them to know. However, they were both finding it difficult to restrain their physical desire for one another, now that they had fully given in. With the children in the house, it was impossible to even think of snatching such forbidden moments. There could be no repeats of Saturday night.

So on Tuesday, the Professor decided to surprise her by coming home for lunch and staying a little later to make up for lost time. She was not surprised when he entered the house. In fact she had chef's salads and iced tea waiting. She did seem a little subdued.

"Can't ever surprise you with anything, can I?" he grumbled cheerfully.

"You did with the ring, the other night," she reminded him.

"Yes I did, didn't I," he said with satisfaction. He looked at her and noticed that her response did not have the same playfulness that it usually had.

"Okay, I'm afraid that although I don't have quite your powers of intuition, I can tell that you have something on your mind. No secrets, okay?" he said.

She looked down and he noticed that her cheeks were a little flushed. So what else could he do? He took her in his arms and held her close. She put her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"I love you," he breathed. "Tell me. Let go of it. It will make you feel better."

"Hal," she started tentatively, "Remember how you were afraid last weekend that we might have given Prudence her baby sister a little earlier than would be seemly?"

He knew what she was going to say. He was relieved. When they were married they would starting anew. With any luck it would be more than nine months before the little miracle came along. However he could see that she was disappointed. Hopefully when she had more time to think about it, she would see that it was all for the best.

To make this moment easier, he answered, "Well, I guess we're going to have to try harder next time. We did promise Prudence you know."

She tightened her grip and looked up into his eyes, "But what if . . . we can't?"

She was obviously remembering their conversation with Butch and Prudence only a week or so ago regarding the Parsons and how their inability to have their own child had resulted in the adoption of Butch's pen pal Billy. This was a new fear. He hoped that she would let go of it more easily than she had some of her others.

"It's too early to tell that. Remember, the timing has to be right, and if you already know that we didn't make a baby, then I can tell you from experience that this was definitely an issue of timing," he explained.

She looked a little suspicious and he said, "My first wife had the same worry that you have. She was so concerned that she went to the doctor. He told her that she was a perfectly healthy woman and explained to her how to get the timing right."

Seeing that she had relaxed, the Professor continued, "Being a mathematician, she insisted that I run all kinds of numbers and probabilities to predict the exact 'best time' to conceive. I never liked it. It lacked the spontaneity and romance that these kinds of encounters, shall we say, should have. I always felt that if we just let nature take its course, it would have happened anyway. With you I would just like to let things happen naturally, and keep my promise and try very, very hard."

It was impossible for him to keep the naughty look out of his eye. He was clearly looking forward to keeping that promise. She had to smile at his almost childish delight. Seeing that he had cheered her up, he gently kissed her and said, "I'm hungry. How about some lunch? Those salads look great."

He decided that it would be best to distract her from this little concern. As they sat down he continued, "Since all of our paperwork is in order, we might as well not waste any more time. Besides, the sooner we do it, the better the chance is that we'll catch everyone off guard. There's a nice bed and breakfast up in the hills not far from an Episcopal chapel. I've already taken the liberty of making a reservation at the Hill Top Bed and Breakfast and calling the pastor at the little church. He'll be happy to perform the ceremony. His wife will be the witness. Apparently we aren't the first couple to have this idea."

He gave her a minute to absorb the information.

"Or we could hop a flight to Vegas if you like," he suggested

"Whatever makes you think . . .?" she was outraged until she realized that he was teasing her.

"Gotcha!"

They both laughed. Neither one had any desire to go to Las Vegas and have some tacky ceremony in a twenty-four chapel, although the Professor had to admit that with all her prescience and intuition they could probably win a lot of money there. He felt her lightly tap his arm and he knew that once again she had read his mind. Her look was very disapproving. With an impish grin he turned his attention back to his salad. She looked at him fondly. There were times when she wondered if he wasn't actually the biggest kid of all in the house.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Discussion at dinner that night centered around the wedding. Prudence and Trelawney, their heads stuffed with fairy tales of princesses and balls, had visions of a grand pageant. Phoebe had warned Hal that he should play along with whatever nonsense Trelawney spun out.

"She will be paying attention to your every thought so that she can see how far you will indulge her fantasies. Try to think of how ridiculous you find it, without any sense of relief that there's no way it will happen," she advised.

"Is that what you'll be doing?" he asked.

"And then some. Consider it my own little prank on her for all those that she's played on us over the last few months," she said with a smile.

"Phoebe, we have so many cousins, just think of all the attendants you can have!" enthused Trelawney.

"Can I be the flower girl?" asked Prudence.

"Emmeline will have to be the maid of honor. Oh won't she be mad! Remember what she said at Christabel's wedding?" said Trelawney.

"Who's Christabel?" asked Prudence.

"She's Em's sister and Em was her maid of honor. There was a best man and ten bridesmaids and ten groomsmen. Phoebe was a bridesmaid, I was flower girl and my cousin Bobby was the ring bearer," she continued.

"Sounds like three ring circus," commented the Professor.

"Oh, it was," agreed Trelawney. "We had hours for fittings and the rehearsal was endless because nobody knew where to go. The lads broke out a case of ale and . . ."

"Trelawney!" admonished Phoebe.

"From Uncle Bleary O'Leary's pub?" asked the Professor.

"Yes, how did you know?" she didn't wait for an answer. "Anyway, Emmeline finally pitched a fit and said that Christabel was a bloody loon to have started all this rot and that if ever she got married she would elope. It was a year before they finally spoke again."

"Boy, that sounds like fun!" said Butch."What's ale?"

"It's what English people drink instead of beer," explained Hal.

"More like what English people drink in addition to beer," corrected Trelawney.

"Dad," said Butch. "Will we drink beer or ale at your wedding?"

"Neither" said the Professor so definitively that everyone stopped laughing and stared.

"We wouldn't want to be arrested for serving alcohol to minors," he amended.

"Not a lot of fun to spend your honeymoon in jail, would it be Professor?" asked Trelawney.

"This is getting ridiculous," said the Professor.

"Trelawney, we were thinking that a small family wedding was in order," explained Nanny.

"Yeah, right. Small family wedding is an oxymoron when it concerns the Figalillys," responded Trelawney.

Deliberately changing the subject, Nanny said, "What were you two thinking about colors?"

"I want a rainbow wedding," said Prudence.

"What's that?" asked her brother Hal.

"Francine has a book. All the bridesmaids wear different colored dresses, like a rainbow. Did you know that Francine and Trelawney were planning their own weddings?" asked Prudence.

"Oh brother!" groaned Hal.

But Trelawney turned pink. "Prudence we told you that you could stay with us if you promised not to tell."

"I forgot," said Prudence repentantly.

"Let's say we all forget and end this conversation now," said the Professor. "I know a few children who have homework to do."

"Trelawney, would you please stay and help me with the dishes?" asked Nanny.

"I'll help," said Butch quickly. "I bet that Trelawney has more homework than I do."

Trelawney had already seen her sister's face and knew that she was about to get a talking to. "How nice of you, Butch. I do have a great deal of homework."

But the Professor interjected, "Butch, even if she has twice as much homework as you, I know it will only take her half as long. Upstairs young man, now!

Trelawney sighed regretfully and began clearing the table as she prepared herself for the imminent lecture. But Phoebe didn't want to be too hard on her. She knew that the girl was impulsive and sometimes the words came tumbling out of her mouth as soon as they popped into her head. She was also concerned about how she felt about Prudence telling tales.

Silently they worked side by side and when they were done Phoebe drew her into her arms. By now Trelawney had calmed down and was already regretting some of her outrageous remarks.

"I'm sorry Phoebe. I don't know what comes over me sometimes. I know that I shouldn't tell tales on the family," she said regretfully.

"Well dear," her sister replied kindly. "It would be very helpful if you would think before you spoke. I know that you are very happy about the wedding and that you and Hal worked and schemed very hard to bring the Professor and I together, but marriage isn't about weddings."

"I know that, but weddings are such lovely fun," she said. "And besides there's, well . . . no one else to help you plan it. You know?"

Phoebe put her hands on her sister's shoulders and said, "Yes indeed darling I do know. And yes, it makes me sad too, but we'll carry on you and I, won't we?"

Tears filled Trelawney's eyes. As she comforted her, Phoebe could feel her own tears forming. Within moments, they were weeping because at this most special time of Phoebe's life, their parents would not be there.

At one point Trelawney looked up at her sister and said sadly, "You know they would have loved him. In fact, I think that up in heaven they do love him."

Holding her more tightly, Phoebe whispered, "I am sure that they do."

At length the Professor came into the kitchen. He was becoming concerned that they had not yet reappeared. He caught Phoebe's eye and she nodded through her tears. Coming over put his arms around them both and gave each a fatherly kiss on the forehead.

"Can I do anything to help my two Figalilly girls?" he asked gently.

Trelawney sniffled but replied, "I need to start my homework."

Putting his arm around Phoebe's waist he led her to the living room. He knew that if the sisters were crying together that it meant they were missing their parents. No doubt all of this wedding nonsense was stirring things up. Thankfully it would be over in a few days.

"Yes, Hal," said Phoebe quietly, so that no potential eavesdroppers could hear. "I really don't care about being a bride. I want to be a wife."

"You will," he said softly, "And then a mother. Shhh! Don't look skeptical or worried. Remember, during one of our flights into the cosmos, I saw you. You were heavy with my child, and you smiled so beautifully. You looked like a vision, not a dream. Do you have any idea of how much I love you?"

His words calmed and comforted her. He knew that she needed to hear them. In these lowest moments, even though she knew in her heart how much he loved her, she still needed to hear the words. He wanted her to know that she must never feel alone. His arms were waiting when she needed a safe place to rest. His shoulder was there for her to lean or even cry on. In a few days they would be joined as a permanent "we." The thought was still awesome to him.

Looking down he realized that she was sleeping. He still had work to do but he didn't care. His destiny was curled up and dozing peacefully in his arms. The work would always be there, but sweet moments like this might not. For the time being, this was the closest he could get to actually sleeping with her. Prudence was the first one to arrive downstairs for her good night kiss. Seeing that Nanny was sleeping, she tip-toed over and quietly kissed her Daddy on the cheek.

"I'll tell the others," she whispered.

The Professor was grateful and turned his attention back to the bundle in his arms. Doubts crept into his mind about whether she was ready to be married. Still, once they were married he would have her with him through the night, and not just for lovemaking. He would be there to comfort her at times like this and not have to wake her from her peaceful sleep to put her to bed in another room. As the clock ticked on he knew that he finally had to rouse her, but he changed his mind. Deciding that he would do something he had always wanted to, he lifted her up and carried her to bed. Tucking her in, he shut off the light and closed the door.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The children were excited on Friday because they knew that Emmeline was coming to celebrate the engagement. She would stay the weekend and take them on an outing tomorrow so that Nanny and the Professor could have some time to themselves. The kids all agreed among themselves that this was a very good thing and they were happy to cooperate. Emmeline was also going to help beginning to start the wedding plans.

"I guess she wants to get in the ground floor, so to speak, to try and prevent all that 'rot'" said Trelawney to Prudence as they were getting ready for dinner.

"What's a bloody loon?" asked Prudence.

"Something you shouldn't mention to Emmeline unless you want to get me into trouble," warned the older girl. "You won't like it if you tattle again."

"Don't worry, I'll remember this time," said Prudence sincerely.

But it was not Prudence that Trelawney should have been worried about. No sooner had they sat down to dinner than Butch asked Emmeline what a bloody loon was. Emmeline looked at Trelawney who didn't want to meet her eye.

"Been telling tales on the family, have you been, love?"

"Well we were talking about Phoebe's wedding and I told them just a wee bit about Christabel's," explained Trelawney.

"Of all the Figalilly weddings," she shook her head. "I should really give you what for."

"Oh yeah, Cousin Emmeline," urged Butch. "If you do that then I get fifty cents from Hal instead of a quarter."

"Oh, brother!" Hal rolled his eyes.

"You mean you paid him to tattle on me?" asked Trelawney outraged.

"The next time that you DON'T want me to tattle," said Prudence. "I think that you should pay me."

The adults shook their heads.

"Leave it to my kids to figure out how to make a buck off of tattling," said the Professor.

"Well before this becomes a lucrative venture for a couple of you," said Nanny looking directly at Butch and Prudence, "We'll have no more bribery or taking 'protection money' so to speak, with regards to anything related to telling tales on one another. We have enough of that without any added incentives."

"Come on, Nanny," said Butch, "Give us a break."

"No," she said sternly. "The whole idea of it goes completely against everything that I have been trying to teach you about love and family."

The kids all looked at each other. Nanny had begun to sound like, well, like she was their mother or something. Emmeline couldn't resist gently needling them.

"Well kids, I guess that there are going to be both pluses and minuses to Phoebe being your mother."

"I don't care," said Prudence. "I just want Nanny to be my Mommy."

Nanny smiled softly.

"Well I want Nanny to be my Mom too," said Butch. Then looking at her he added, "But couldn't you wait until you and Dad are actually married before you start getting into all the Mom stuff?"

"Okay," said the Professor. "Nanny can wait on the Mom stuff, but I'm still your Dad and there will be no profiteering from tattle telling. Come to think of it, I want all of you to promise that there will be no more tattle telling."

"I promise, Daddy," said Prudence immediately.

Before he could protest, Hal said, "Give it up, Butch."

Emmeline changed the subject. "I think that a nice simple wedding is in order, even if it has to be large to accommodate all the family."

"I told you so," said Trelawney. "I knew that she was going to interfere with our plans."

"Yes, dear," said Nanny. "And of course you've never interfered in anything before in your life."

Before Trelawney could defend herself, Nanny suggested that they go into the living room while she cleaned up, but Emmeline said,

"No Phoebe, you go into the living room. Trelawney and Prudence can help me clean up."

"I think that's a great idea!" said the Professor and offered Nanny his arm. She took it and they walked into the living room together. The kids turned to Emmeline and Hal said,

"Come on, Butch, let's leave them alone so they can have some kissy face time."

"Some what?" asked Emmeline amused.

"Kissy face time," said Prudence. "That's what we call it when they go off by themselves and play kissy face. They don't like it when we interrupt them. At first it was just Dad, but now it's Nanny too."

Emmeline involuntarily rolled her eyes. It's a good thing they're settling things tomorrow. But she immediately shut the thought out of her mind in case Trelawney noticed.

When they were done Emmeline went to the living room and, as Butch had predicted, found Phoebe and the Professor in a clinch.

"Aren't you afraid the kids will see you?"

"No," said the Professor, "I believe that they're giving us what they call kissy face time."

"Oh you know about that then?" she inquired drily.

"Make use of it every time I can," he replied cheerfully.

Emmeline looked at her cousin. Phoebe was looking calmer and more relaxed than she had in a long while. She looked very comfortable curled up as she was against the Professor. He was holding her tenderly, almost protectively, in his arms. She thought of her own sister's stress and anxiety the night before her wedding.

After their blowup at the church, there had been the rehearsal dinner where a number of very inappropriate toasts had been made by some very drunk groomsmen. There were so many details to the arrangements that by midnight both Christabel and their mother had been in tears. The day had ultimately come off as Christabel's "dream wedding" and at the time, Emmeline now recalled, that Phoebe had agreed with her that all the fuss was simply not worth it. Of course theirs was the minority opinion.

Phoebe and the Professor had made the right decision. If she had been afraid that they were moving too quickly, she was now convinced that her fears had been misplaced. They were the picture of peace and contentment. Rather than a lot of arrangements, Phoebe's mind was completely focused on her husband-to-be. Rather than worrying about a thousand things that could wrong, her mind was completely centered on the ceremony that was now the most right thing in her life. Emmeline stood up.

"Well I for one am going to bed early. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. What do you want me to tell the children when you don't come home tomorrow night?"

"The truth," said the Professor. "They might as well know rather than using their imaginations. Think you can handle it?"

"Oh yes," said Emmeline. "It'll be a great change to have the last laugh on them. Sure you want to give up the opportunity to see Hal and Trelawney on the other end of a prank?"

"I think I can sacrifice it to spend a romantic night away with my new husband," said Phoebe.

"Well, I don't know how many times we'll have the chance . . ." began the Professor.

Phoebe playfully attempted to smack his arm, but he grabbed her wrist and started to kiss her.

"Carry on!" said Emmeline and left them.

Good thing they're getting married tomorrow. After tonight they'll be able to go off by themselves and indulge in their physical inclinations to their heart's content. She checked on the kids and hustled them off to bed. She didn't want to have to deal with four kids who would be any crankier than necessary after they discovered that Phoebe and the Professor had foiled their plans for an extravaganza.

Phoebe and the Professor must have had the same idea because shortly afterwards, they followed her upstairs. Apart from the Professor and preparing for bed Phoebe seemed a little subdued, even sad. In her nightgown she looked more delicate than ever. Taking her by the shoulders, Emmeline looked into her eyes. There was a dreamy quality to them. She seemed to be thinking of the past, even as she was getting ready to step into the future.

"If only . . ." she began, but faltered.

"In everyone's life there are probably a thousand 'if onlys,'" said Emmeline. "Some of them are regrets for bad choices. You don't have any of those. I know right now that if your mother and father were here they would be so proud of you. You have dedicated your life to helping others. You have taken on the full responsibility for raising your sister. Tomorrow you will be committing yourself to a kind and generous man and to raising his children.

"While your parents were living, you always loved, respected and obeyed them. Everyone knows how much joy you gave them. The last thing that they would want is for you to lose your own joy in life on their account."

Phoebe was thoughtful, although still sad. Everything that Emmeline said was true. She knew how much her parents had loved her. If she did have any regrets they were because of the amount of time that she had spent traveling which had taken her away from them. She thought of tomorrow and how the exchange of rings and a few words would change her forever. Emmeline read her thoughts and smiled,

"When you grew up, you moved away from your parents to live independently. Tomorrow you will commit yourself to a man whom you will never leave. Tonight is the last night that you will sleep in your own bed. After that, that you will spend your nights with him," she said gently.

Phoebe flushed a little and bit her lip. Emmeline looked at her with understanding.

"You've already spent the night in his bed, haven't you? How was it? Don't be shy, remember this is Em here. When we were teenage girls we used to talk about these kinds of things."

"It was beautiful," answered Phoebe with a far-away look in her eyes. "I felt like the princess in the fairy tale who was awakened by Prince Charming's kiss. He was so passionate and gentle at the same time. I thought that I was going to be scared, but I just felt safe."

Emmeline nodded. From the beginning that was how he had always made her feel: safe. She wouldn't pry any further. Phoebe was certainly entitled to her private thoughts, especially in this area. But she was still moved to ask,

"Promise me that I get to be the godmother?"

Flushing a slightly deeper red, she answered, "Yes, if it happens."

"No, Phoebe, WHEN it happens," replied Emmeline, thinking that once it did happen it might not be as gloriously romantic as she imagined it. Oh well, she would have to learn all about the morning sickness and other physical inconveniences for herself.

At the same moment, the Professor was standing in his own room, thinking about how on Sunday after they returned it would become their room. He would suddenly be sharing closet and draw space, not to mention the bathroom. It gave him an odd feeling, after these years of living alone, to know that their lives would be so intimately wound around each other. Knowing how tidy her own room was, not to mention the whole house, he wasn't worried about any clutter. She was so soft and feminine that the room just didn't seem to suit her as it was. However, considering how much money they were saving on the wedding, he would be only too happy if she wanted to redecorate it.

Now that the time for his remarriage was fast approaching, he thought about his first wife. He didn't really have to wonder about what she would have thought of his choice as a wife and step-mother for their three children. Before she had died he had promised her that he would find someone who would love them as her own and raise them to be strong, healthy adults. Of course, he really hadn't found Phoebe, she had found them.

How she had known that the housekeeper position was open after Miss Dunbar quit and before he had even posted it was still a mystery to him. He never could get a straight answer out of her, but considering the love and happiness she had brought into their lives it no longer bothered him. It had taken him a long time to get used to her presence in their lives. But it had not been long before the house was running smoothly, the children were better behaved, and he wasn't dreading coming home at night. Of course her eccentricities had originally annoyed the hell out of him. Between her fantastic imagination and her determination to pull them together as a family, she nearly drove him out of his mind.

It was only later that he realized that if Helen had lived, she would never have let the family fall so far apart from one another that finding family time would have been a great struggle. Phoebe was bringing the family back to where they had been. And while Helen may have lacked Phoebe's belief in the impossible, she shared with her the vision of life, that there was good everyone. All you had to do was look for it. He often thought that if they had known each other, they would have understood each other very well.

Yet there were enough differences between them for him to realize that he was starting a whole new life with this woman. Despite the fact that she was more than fifteen years younger than him, there were times when she seemed much older. By the same token, although they had known each other for less than two years, he felt as though he had known her for far longer. Young and beautiful as she was, it often amazed him that she could love him, middle-aged and widower with three children though he was, not to mention with a whole menagerie of animals thrown into the bargain.

When he had thought of remarriage, it had never occurred to him that he might marry someone young enough to want her own children. As his own three were growing older, even last year he had felt a twinge of regret of the passage of their early childhood. It had been huge step when Prudence had started school. Now with Phoebe as his wife there would be more years of the "patter of little feet." It was one of those unexpected blessings in life that no one could have predicted.

They had not even had a traditional courtship. One day she was his housekeeper and nanny to his children and the next he realized that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. It was an awesome moment when he discovered that she felt the same way. Once he discovered that she returned his feelings in kind, his mind was made up. They would marry and spend the rest of their lives loving each other. Of course it really wasn't so simple. These things never are. However he never lost sight of his ultimate goal. Somewhere in the darkest recesses of his heart he had always known that this night would come.

He was glad that Emmeline was in the house. If she wasn't there then he might be tempted to sneak into her room to spend these last hours before they made the final commitment in her arms. He thought of last weekend and the wonder of discovering her. He lost count of the number of times he made love to her but it didn't matter, there would never be enough. Still, the thought of tomorrow night very nearly made his heart stop. He remembered from his last wedding night that profound feeling of oneness that he had felt when they made love for the first time after they had vowed to spend their lives together.

It had not been their first time together, but it was completely different. Knowing how deeply sensitive Phoebe was to these things, he was looking forward to that moment of initiation, when the promises made with their lips became promises made with their bodies. He was also glad that it would not be her first time. He knew that the first experience had been more uncomfortable than she admitted. He was glad that she was passed that and could fully enjoy their lovemaking. He suspected that it would not be long before she would be able to let go of her fears about their ability to have a child of their own.

Since that last beautiful night under the stars, before Cholmondeley turned up to turn their world upside down, he had often thought of how she looked to him, in his mind's eye, large with his child. Boy or girl it didn't matter. If Prudence didn't get her sister the first time around there would always be the fun of trying again. Finally he lay down, knowing that the sooner he slept, the sooner the morning would come: their wedding day.

****

It had been decided that it would be best if Emmeline left with the kids first in the station wagon. They had said that they were going to spend some time at home alone before going out for the afternoon. Hal and Trelawney looked knowingly at each other, but both had the good sense to keep quiet about whatever it was that they were thinking. Butch was just eager to go and Prudence wanted hugs and kisses goodbye.

As they left, Trelawney said, "And when we get back we'll begin some serious wedding planning!"

Phoebe and Hal managed to keep straight faces until the car had pulled down the street. By the time the kids had returned home tonight they would already be married. Neither felt the least bit guilty about disappointing them. For at least the next twenty-four hours, the only feelings they need concern themselves with would be each other's.

Walking back inside the house arm in arm, they each went off to their separate rooms to pack, each smiling at the thought that when they returned they would no longer need separate bedrooms. They met again in the upstairs hallway and Hal took Phoebe's overnight bag. She had the box with her great-great-grandmother's wedding dress.

He commented, "You know with all the upset that day you tried it on, I really can't remember what it looks like."

She smiled softly. "So then it won't be bad luck that you've seen it before."

"The only bad luck involved was that you weren't wearing the dress for me," he said. "Truth be told, while you had it on, I couldn't bear to look at it."

"And now?"

"Truth be told? I will probably not be able to see anything but your beautiful blue eyes," he answered tenderly.

Those eyes looked back at him, filled with love and the quiet joy of knowing that the next time they entered the house, it would be as man and wife. He gestured and she went down the stairs and out the door. After putting their things in the back seat, Hal gallantly held the passenger side door and announced, "Your carriage awaits, my dear."

Taking his hand she stepped in. He closed the door in and leaned in for a kiss, not caring if the whole neighborhood saw. It was a long, full-mouthed kiss. When he pulled back she looked around to see if there were any observers.

Playfully, he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry! By the time we get back, I will have made you a respectable woman."

"I have always been a respectable woman," she said primly, as he walked around the car to get in.

"Mmm, hmm," he answered with a rather naughty look on his face and pulled out the driveway.

Smiling and leaning back comfortably, she decided to let him have the last word. Her heart was really too full to reply anyway. She doubted that any bride had ever been more loved than she was at this moment. But she had spoken the truth the other night. She really didn't care about being a bride. She knew that she was about to become the wife of the man that she had been born to marry.

She looked over at his handsome profile while he concentrated on his driving as they weaved in and out of the Saturday morning traffic on the way out of town. Lost in his own thoughts, he was smiling. His eyes might be on the road, but his mind was on the future, their future. And it was beautiful.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_To be continued . . ._


	4. Chapter 4: Private Ceremony

**Chapter 4: Private Ceremony **

Neither Hal nor Phoebe felt the least bit guilty about their choice to elope and avoid the madness and chaos of a large family wedding. Such displays were really anathema to both of them. He liked to keep things simple and she disliked anyone fussing over her. They had only been engaged for a week and already the children were plotting and planning a fairy tale wedding to satisfy their wildest dreams. Trelawney, as usual, was the ringleader. She had been to many large family weddings at home and thus had great expectations. However, if Phoebe had ever at one time shared those feelings, they were long gone.

The months had slipped by since the Figalilly sisters had lost their parents in a car wreck. Each in her own way was still raw. For Phoebe it was impossible for her to think of a wedding without her mother by her side to guide and plan. There would then be the wedding and reception itself. Despite the army of Figalillys who would no doubt be present, the two most special people would not. And no matter who walked her down the aisle it would not be her father. In fact there had already been tears at the mere thought of the wedding. Being a bride meant far less to her than being a wife. She knew that the family and friends who were looking forward to a big, family blowout would understand her need for the most low key kind of affair possible. Given time, they would realize that this would be their only choice.

Weddings are something akin to buying Christmas gifts for numerous children. There is a constant need to keep things equal. Hal's initial suggestion that they go to one or the other of their two pastors would have left one feeling slighted. A wedding with "just" Emmeline and the kids would have eventually expanded to his parents and brothers. Then as the "even-steven" game began that could easily have escalated into upwards of 200 guests and numerous attendants so that no one would be left out. Then there would be the arrangements for such an extravaganza. The thought made her head spin.

Yet she loved Hal deeply and wanted to be his wife. Thus there would be a marriage ceremony to make all things legal, but no big splashy wedding. Because of his own deep love for her, not to mention his complete understanding of her feelings at the moment, he would risk his mother's wrath and take her to the altar immediately. The fact that she had engineering a set of circumstances that had put him in a position to contemplate and then hastily agree to this course of action, had not bothered him as much as she feared it might.

He had confronted her the other night with her choice, not so much to challenge as to clear the air.

"Phoebe," he had said, upon entering the living room. He sat down beside her and gathered her in his arms. "Why?"

She knew what he meant immediately. However, she felt no regrets for any of her choices. Looking him directly in the eye, she replied,

"Because I love you and it is time. I know how much you love me. I knew how much you wanted me, at the very least as much as I wanted you. But, Hal darling, you know how you get so caught up in just keeping up with the details of life that you lose sight of the big picture. I did not want to entrap you, just move you along in the right direction, so to speak."

Hal looked at her thoughtfully, "Didn't you trust me?"

"I absolutely trusted you then and trust you now," she answered, in a most definitive tone. "I have trusted you since the first moment you took me in arms that afternoon that I thought my heart would break, listening to Prudence and Trelawney talk about how much they each loved me. I have entrusted you with my heart and soul, not to mention my body, for the rest of my life. Any lack of trust I had was about your ability to get started with the process, so to speak."

He continued to gaze into her eyes thoughtfully. Her blue eyes were guileless, as trusting as a child's. They looked back into with an openness bordering on vulnerable. He knew that she looked at no one else in the world like that, even her sister, who was as close to her in heart and soul as anyone, with the exception of him, could be. He gently kissed her forehead, smoothed back her hair, and settled her on his shoulder.

"You were right," he said at length. "On Saturday morning, after you left me and I knew that I had to move quickly, my mind began to think a mile a minute. I knew what engagement ring I wanted, I just had to make up my mind as to the final choice. I knew how I wanted to ask you, that was the easy part. To be quite honest, I didn't want to wait to marry you, but, as you have said in not so many words, I was putting other people first. You asked me to put you first and I suppose that that is what gave me the wherewithal to plan the elopement."

"Once I knew that you wanted to marry as quickly as possible," he continued. "The rest just fell into place. I knew about the Episcopal chapel because I had noticed on our way up to the state park. I remembered it because you said that it looked so sweet sitting out in the hills like that. The bed and breakfast was sheer coincidence, as was the pastor's willingness to marry us on short notice. It all worked at perfectly."

She looked up at him and smiled.

"So you put me first?" she asked.

"Yes," he said firmly. "And I learned a valuable lesson. You are sweet and kind and patient, but that doesn't mean that I may forget that you have first place in my heart and in my life's plans. If I had been paying close enough attention then I would have seen that you were ready to move forward and asked you to marry me before you were forced to intervene."

He took a moment to reflect on his next words.

"I in no way regret that I discovered the beauty of all of you last weekend," he said tenderly. "I regret that it was because of my neglect, my lack of observation, that you felt that you had to act as you did."

"I have no regrets at all," she said simply. "I love you. I wasn't looking to merely enter the next phase of our physical relationship, I wanted to be your wife. What I did, I did for love."

"I know that," he said softly. "Everything you do, you do for love. I consider myself blessed to be the recipient of all that love. I may not be worthy, but I am the recipient."

She laughed. "Hal, as usual, you have become so caught up in the details, you have lost sight of the big picture. No man has ever shown such great love and devotion to a woman, as you. You had faith in our love, when I lost it. You carried me through the darkest days of my life. You are my shining light in the darkness."

He looked into her blue eyes and knew that she spoke the truth.

"The gallant knight has fought many battles for his fair maiden and won her hand," she said, borrowing Trelawney's favorite metaphor. But seeing how serious he had become, she added playfully,

"Of course the fair maiden is now a fallen woman."

"Phoebe," he began to object.

"She has fallen in love with her gallant knight," she finished, and initiated a passionate kiss.

When he caught his breath, he replied, "She has fallen into my arms, and there she will rest by my side forever more."

Phoebe nestled in more closely and he tightened his grip. For the moment, they needed no further physical demonstration of their love. There is more to intimacy than passion.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

So Saturday morning, after the kids went out with Phoebe's Cousin Emmeline for an outing, they packed a couple of overnight bags and hopped in the car. The drive up to the hills was perfect. The sky was clear and temperature mild. Phoebe's car Arabella was very cooperative and they had a smooth ride. At one point, Hal stopped the car and they both got out.

"Do you remember this spot?" he asked.

"Yes," she said softly. "This is where you took me to look out on the edge of forever."

"I hoped that you would remember," he said. "I believe that we are once again about to look beyond the boundaries of our daily lives, and look into the immense expanse of the universe."

When they arrived at the Hill Top Bed and Breakfast, Hal asked if they could register was Professor and Mrs. Harold Everett. The innkeeper, Julian Hawthorne, was surprised.

"Aren't you Professor and Mrs. Everett?"

"Not for a couple of more hours," replied Hal as he looked at Phoebe. She simply gazed back speechless. It had given her a thrill to hear their names linked that way.

The Julian looked at them and smiled back, "I think that I can trust you to come back with everything legal. Although I do admit that we have our share of couples who register as married, but are not interested in making things permanent, shall we say."

"This is permanent already," said Hal smiling. "We're just up here to make things official."

They followed him as he led him up to their room. Like all bed and breakfasts, it was a large rambling house. He was a writer and his wife was a painter. A few years ago they had grown tired of the hustle and bustle of city life. They bought the old house for a song and renovated themselves. Now they had plenty of time to write and paint to their hearts' content, while playing innkeepers to support themselves.

Phoebe enjoyed looking around at the southwestern-themed decor. She had never been in a bed and breakfast like this before. It had all the homely charm of the ones that she had been in in Europe. Like those, this fit into the surrounding landscaped perfectly. Noticing her interest, Julian gave her a little background.

"Maddie and I are originally from New England," he explained. "In fact she's from Concord, Massachusetts. We met up at Berkeley. Our plan had always been to go back east, but she fell in love with the Southwest for its color. I have to admit, I fell in love with the climate. Plan A, as we call it now, had been to open a B&B in Concord and decorate it along the theme of the local authors, Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, etc. We adapted our idea as Plan B, for this place."

"It is a wonderful idea," commented Phoebe.

"We basically gutted the original structure, opening up the ceilings so we could put in the beams, and of course the skylights," he continued. "Most of the artwork that you see round the walls is Maddie's. We have the upper and lower rooms of course, but my favorite feature is this great room in the middle, which opens to both floors.

"The original thought behind opening up the ceilings was to provide natural lighting for her paintings. This area doubles as gallery space. If you come back in six months, you will see all new paintings, since she actually sells from here. The southwestern artifacts are what I have collected over the years. The furnishings in the rooms are mostly antiques, although I can promise that the bathrooms and the mattresses are all modern."

Phoebe and Hal looked around curiously, especially Phoebe. This was one area of America, and in fact the world that was new to her. The room was bathed in golden light. The warm colors of the rugs and tapestries and the bearskins and other hides gave the wood floors and woodwork everywhere a bright and cheerful feeling. They followed Julian up the stairs and walked around the overhang so that they could look down over the great room.

He turned to Phoebe. "Hal has reserved a second floor room, which means that it has a skylight of its own."

The room was tastefully decorated, obviously by his wife. There was a fireplace, where the logs had been placed, ready to be lit. The four poster bed stood high off the floor and was covered by a handmade quilt. On the low table by the fireplace stood a vase with a dozen white roses. Hal handed Phoebe the small envelop. The card inside read,

"To my beautiful wife on our wedding day. Love forever, Hal"

Phoebe's eyes glistened with tears. There would be no bouquet to throw or large arrangements at the church or centerpieces for the tables. She didn't need any of that. Instead, she had these beautiful flowers from her new husband. Roses were her favorite and she knew that he had chosen white for a bride. She would bring them home and press them to have forever.

Seeing that they wanted to be alone Julian said, "Tomorrow morning you will come down for breakfast in the great room. There are three other couples here, so you will all eat around the big table. Maddie and I cook and serve breakfast, but we also like to spend to with our guests. This is an adult only inn, simply because we prefer to keep things quiet and low key. As you can guess, it is impossible to maintain that atmosphere with kids running around."

"Indeed, we well know that," grimaced Hal. "It was what sold me on the place."

"Well, I am glad that it did. Now I will leave you alone. Let me know if you need anything. I'll just be downstairs waiting for our other guests to arrive. You are the first," answered Julian and then left them alone.

Hal had carried in their bags and Phoebe still had the box with her dress. She decided to wait until she got to the church to put it on. He was looking forward to seeing it again. There was so much upset and confusion that he scarcely remembered what it looked like when she had last tried it on. She was pleased when he told her.

"Then when you see me at the church it will be like the first time," she said a little happily, but also a little sadly.

Hal knew what she was thinking and took her in his arms. "I know they will see you. I know they'll be there."

He let her cry. He knew she needed to release some of the sadness that he had sensed building over the last week. He also knew well that a large part of the motivation for the elopement was to avoid a big family event where her parents' absence would have been more keenly felt. It had not even been a year since they had passed and she was taking one of the biggest of life's steps without them. He hoped that they weren't rushing things. And he hoped that he wasn't trying to push her into something that she wasn't ready for.

"Phoebe, if you're not ready for this, if you want to wait, we can just make this a long weekend away for the two of us," he said.

She looked back at him with love. She knew once again how well he knew her. He understood all of her feelings and mixed emotions about the day. But it only made her all the more certain that when they returned to this room later tonight that she would be his wife. Looking in her eyes he once again, without words, understood. He kissed her tenderly and held her close. As she safely rested in his arms she wondered that despite their vast differences he could know her so well. But the uncomplicated, unconditional nature of his love for her cut through many of the shadows and nuances that can cloud human relationships. She knew that this was the only man that she could have ever possibly married.

When they arrived at the church the pastor and his wife met them. The pastor took Hal outside to talk while Mrs. Dugan, the pastor's wife brought Phoebe to the guest room in the rectory where she could change. A kindly woman by nature, she had helped many brides prepare for their weddings. She had never met one who was not in some way affected by doubts. Phoebe was no exception. Although her practiced eye told her this was a bride-to-be deeply in love with her future husband, there was still a latent anxiety and a touch of sadness.

To put her at ease, she helped her to open the box with the lovely old-fashioned wedding dress. It had to be at least one hundred years old and had been beautifully preserved. They laid the dress out on the bed and pulled out the veil. Although the tulle was a little flat, it sprang back to life when freed from its constraints.

"This is exquisite," she said. "Simple and elegant, yet rich in detail. It puts the modern dresses of today to shame."

The young woman before her looked at it with yearning, "It was my great-great-grandmother's. All the women in my family have worn it."

Mrs. Dugan looked at her searchingly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Why a beautiful bride like yourself, who is so in love with her husband-to-be, is feeling sad," Mrs. Dugan didn't waste words. She wasn't trying to pry, but as a pastor's wife she had a natural desire to reach out to those who were in need.

The young woman before her with the lovely blonde hair and deep blue eyes had certain fragility about her. Her presence projected control and self-assurance. Her voice had a low, very sweet tonal quality. Her aura glowed, but did not radiate. Most telling was her smile, soft but sad.

She knew that within minutes Phoebe, what a lovely name, would be committing herself to the handsome, dark-haired man outside having a conversation with her husband. From what little she had seen of him, he was deeply in love with her and had no doubts. His manner with her was gentle. Whatever the root of the air of sadness she projected, he clearly knew it and was determined to be her strength.

"I don't want to feel sad," replied Phoebe, "But at this moment I am missing my parents very much."

"When did you lose them?" she asked gently.

"About ten months ago," she replied.

"Oh," replied Mrs. Dugan. "That's not very long ago at all. Is that why you're eloping?"

"How did you guess?" asked Phoebe.

"It wasn't really a guess. I knew that it was something along those lines," she admitted.

"Most women want their wedding to be the biggest event of their lives. Some elope because they have to. Some elope because their families disapprove. But a small number are trying to avoid what would otherwise be a very painful day," she said wisely. "I knew from the moment I saw you that the first two didn't apply. And nobody elopes with an heirloom like this dress unless someone very special is missing."

Phoebe was silent. She didn't like it when others could read her so well. Hal was the exception. What they had was unique. Mrs. Dugan sensed her reluctance to admit that she was right. But she knew she had to ask the question. Phoebe answered before she could ask.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I am sure that this is right. No matter how long I wait, they won't be here. Hal and I live together, although presently not as husband and wife. I have been nanny to his children for almost two years now. There are four children at home who need the stability of two parents. But we are not getting married for them. It is time. We love each other. We know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. There is nothing stopping us anymore."

Mrs. Dugan was mildly surprised by her very definitive answer. But Phoebe clearly knew her own mind and was stronger than she had first appeared. Despite her obvious youth, she seemed much older and to have lived many more years than a young woman in her twenties. Perhaps it was because of her suffering, that she had acquired a deeper wisdom than her youthful looks belied. It was her present sadness that added to frailty. She smiled.

"Come on, let me see how beautiful you look in this dress. But under the circumstances, I would hardly consider this an elopement. I think that you have every right to consider it a private ceremony."

Outside the Professor walked along with Pastor Dugan, who could see that he was having those last minute pre-wedding jitters. He was restlessly moving. While there seemed to be absolutely no doubts in his mind that he was taking the correct course, his anxiety for his bride was apparent. It did not take much encouragement to get him talking.

"She's a beauty and not just physically. She is the sweetest and kindest woman I have ever met. It still amazes me that she even looked twice at me," said Hal.

"Why is that?"

"She came into my home almost two years ago as my children's nanny. I still don't know what we would have done without her. Everything that had been wrong after my wife died was suddenly set right, and not just the house. She helped us become a family again. Almost a year ago she lost her own parents and we thought we were going to lose her. She has a younger sister she has to raise. But I offered my home to the child so she could stay. She's like a sister to my daughter and I have come to love her like a daughter myself.

"For a time we thought that we might lose Phoebe anyway, she had a previous commitment. But you can't stop true love. We're here because she couldn't face a family wedding without her folks. I really don't need all that, I just need her," explained Hal.

Pastor Dugan looked at him. This was a man in love. It was obvious that he would love and cherish the woman he was to marry. Seeing that Professor Everett still had some thoughts in his mind he encouraged him to talk.

"Oh these women! Even when eloping and there's no one present but their intended they still need time to primp and fuss to look their best. Even a woman as beautiful as your Phoebe."

Hal smiled. He liked the way that Pastor Dugan had referred to her as "his Phoebe." He often thought of her that way even though he had made a great deal of not viewing her as a possession.

"I really can't picture a life apart from her any more. We just belong together. We also need to be settled. I need to be free to care for her whenever she needs me. Right now that's impossible with four children in the house and no ability to get away by ourselves without raising questions."

Pastor Dugan smiled. "There are times when you may find it just as difficult to be alone after you are married. Remember that they're a part of the formula too. You will have to be careful to establish boundaries right away, or you may find them underfoot even more than they are now."

"Well, I doubt that's possible, but I see what you mean. However, today is just about the two of us and I want to make the most of it. What do you think is taking her so long?"

"You tell me. You've been married before," as he inclined his head towards the church.

Hal looked over and saw Mrs. Dugan coming toward them.

"She's ready," she said more to her husband than the Professor.

Pastor Dugan did not like marrying couples that he didn't personally know, especially on what might seem like a whim. But he didn't want to say no either, knowing that sooner or later they would find someone to marry them anyway. So it was his practice to speak to the groom, while his wife talked to the bride. If they discovered that it might not work in the long run, they would suggest they put it off. He could see there was no need in this case.

"You'll meet your bride at the back of the church and then walk her down the aisle to me at the altar," he explained. "They never admit it, but every bride wants to walk down the aisle, even if she's eloping."

Mrs. Dugan smiled at him, "I really would not consider this eloping. I think that Phoebe and Hal should say that they have chosen to have a private ceremony, in light of her parents' recent passing."

"Did you tell Phoebe that?" asked Hal.

"Yes, I did," she replied. "I believe that she liked the idea very much."

Hal smiled. He knew that she would. Once again, his out of town plans had turned out as perfectly as he hoped. It must have been fate that brought them to Pastor Dugan's church. He and his wife seemed to understand them, well, perfectly.

The Dugans went around the back of the chapel so that they would be waiting at the altar. From the time Hal entered the church, all he could see was Phoebe, waiting for him, her blue eyes filled with joy. He felt a rush of happiness as he approached her and held out his arm. With a smile she took it and they walked together towards the future. As she took his arm, she could almost feel his strength flowing through her veins and holding up her heart.

The afternoon sunlight was streaming through the windows and casting a golden glow. It was so bright, that there was no need for artificial light. Through an upper window, she could see a shaft of light that was falling on the front pew. She suddenly sensed her parents' presence. As they passed by, she realized that Hal must have felt it too. He looked at the exact spot and gently squeezed her arm. His smile was tender and knowing, and he gave the most barely perceptible nod. Her heart was so full that she wondered how she would say her vows.

The ceremony was as simple as she had wished: an exchange of vows and an exchange of rings. It thrilled her heart as she placed the simple gold band on his hand. She thought her heart would stop as she felt him slide the gold band on her own finger. She was so moved that he had to take the engagement ring from her other hand and slide it on in front of the band. Her own trembling hands would not allow her to do so.

Her tears started to flow as Pastor Dugan pronounced the final words. They were now man and wife, for as long as they both should live. As if in a dream, she felt Hal draw her forward and tenderly kiss her. Then he pulled her closer in an embrace and whispered directly into her ear, "Forever."

Both Pastor and Mrs. Dugan were equally moved. On very rare occasions, when only the most emotionally connected couples were married, did the room seem to hum with an inexplicable energy. Being devout believers, they had come to see this as God placing his own special blessing on the newly married couple. It was present now, although the couple before them was oblivious. They were so entirely focused on one another that the rest of the world had fallen away.

Pastor Dugan considered their choice to elope, or better put, opt for a private ceremony. It was clearly the right one. If they had been married in a large ceremony, surrounded by many others and with worries of a huge reception to follow, the intensity of the moment would have been lost. It would not have made the marriage any less strong, but it would have robbed them of this opportunity to share this enormous passage in their lives on such a deep level. For indeed at the end of this passage, they would emerge. No longer two individuals, but as one. This was a match clearly made in heaven and was now sanctified by God.

Hal felt the shift deep within his soul and one look into Phoebe's eyes told him that she was experiencing the same thing. Her tremulous smile said more than words. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to make sure that the paperwork was complete and the Pastor paid. Phoebe had wished to get out of the dress before they left, so that it could be safely packed away for Trelawney and Prudence some day, and any other daughters that they might have. However, Mrs. Dugan talked her out of it.

"You look so lovely. With the open car, perhaps a few people will get to see you. As long as you have it on, you might as well enjoy it," she urged. "Besides, I think that your husband will like seeing you in it for a little longer."

Phoebe blushed a little thinking that no doubt Hal would much prefer seeing her out of it than in it. She of course could not mention that so obediently she packed up her street clothes and met Hal and Pastor Dugan outside.

"It's a pity that you won't have a picture of Phoebe in that lovely wedding dress," said Mrs. Dugan.

"I suppose that we could have one taken at a professional studio," said the Professor. "What do you think, Phoebe?"

"I think that would be a nice idea. It would be nice to have a picture to send home to the family. We can dress the kids up and have family portrait taken at the same time," she answered.

"Is there ever a time when you're not thinking of the kids?"

She smiled sweetly and said, "I'm about to put them out of my mind."

"Is that a promise?" he asked playfully.

She just gave him one of her alluring smiles. The Dugans walked them to the car and bid farewell. One of the difficulties with these elopements was that they would become so close to a couple for a brief hour or so and then they went off forever.

As they watched the Everetts drive off, he turned to her and said, "This one is going to last."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When they returned to the Hill Top Bed and Breakfast, they were greeted by Julian, with his wife Madeline, "May we be the first to congratulate the new Professor and Mrs. Harold Everett?"

"Absolutely, my friends," asked Hal.

Madeline, or Maddie, was admiring Phoebe and the dress. Looking at her she said, "Have you ever had your portrait painted?"

"Why no," replied Phoebe, she was beginning to feel self-conscious at the woman's obvious scrutiny.

"I'm surprised," she said. I would have thought that by now some artist would have convinced you to sit for him or her."

"Why is that?" she asked curiously.

"Of course, you must know that you look exquisite," she answered. "Your classical features, blue eyes, and golden hair are an artist's dream. You are wearing almost no make up. And dressed in that simple, old-fashioned gown, you look gorgeous. There's no way that a photograph could capture your timeless beauty. If you were staying longer, I would want to paint you myself. My specialty is landscapes, but I think I could capture your image effectively."

By the time she was done speaking, Phoebe's complexion had turned a deep red. It wasn't just the compliments that embarrassed her, it was the blatant analysis of her looks. Hal had been looking at her with admiration since he had first seen her in the dress. She knew that he was proud of her, but Maddie's lavish compliments clearly put his thoughts into words.

Julian could see that Phoebe was uncomfortable and ever the perfect host said,

"I apologize for my wife's forwardness. I am afraid that the artist sometimes emerges ahead of the innkeeper. She does not mean to intrude."

"Of course I don't ," Maddie quickly added. "I am afraid that I sometimes speak before I think."

"We have a little girl at home who does exactly the same thing, don't we Phoebe?" said Hal to break the slight tension in the air.

Turning to Julian he asked, "Is everything ready?"

"Ready and waiting!" replied his host, grateful to be out of what he considered to be a tight spot. He would have to have a word with Maddie about her lack of tact.

Phoebe turned to him, "Is what ready?"

"Come along Mrs. Everett and see," said Hal with that boyish grin that he always had when he had planned a surprise.

She glowed and followed him to their room where there was a bottle of champagne on ice and a platter with fruit, cheese and crackers. There was another platter with whole grain bread, vegetables and meat. Hal knew that they were not going to be very hungry, but he also do not want to have to leave the room for anything once they were in.

After he opened the door he surprised her by picking her up and carrying her in. Gently he laid her on the bed and sat down beside her. She looked up at him. She was too moved to speak. Thinking quickly he said,

"I'll carry you over the threshold when we get home tomorrow too. The kids will get a kick out of it."

"Are you sure that they'll let us in the door after we foiled their plot?" she said trying to match his cheerful tone.

"Oh they'll let us in," he replied. "Once they find out, Hal and Trelawney's brains will no doubt go into overdrive thinking up schemes for revenge."

With a glint in her eye she said, "Well if they want to lock us up somewhere together, I won't object."

Seeing her intent, Hal decided that the time for talk was over. It was time make love to his new wife. Taking her in his arms, he prepared to take the final steps towards joining them for life. Carefully he helped her remove her wedding attire. It was almost like unwrapping a beautifully wrapped package, as the layers slowly came off. He helped her to set them in a safe place, but told her to leave packing them away for later.

He once again picked her up and kissed her gently and then with increasing passion. He tenderly lay her down on the bed. As he removed his own clothes, she looked directly up and said, "Hal!"

He knew what she had seen. It was the reason he had wanted a second floor bedroom. Above the bed was a skylight. Presently, the sun was shiny through, bathing her in a golden light, but later they would be able to to sleep beneath the stars. She looked at him and smiled that smile that was his and his alone. It was time to make love to his new wife.

Making love in full daylight was a different experience from the shadows of the night. Phoebe's fair white skin made a delicate contrast to his own, still tanned from the summer months. Unbound, her silky golden hair always felt longer and fuller than when she tied it back. As he fell on her, he felt her arms wrapped around him.

"I've missed you," he said. And he had. They had not been together like this in a whole week, yet it felt like a lifetime. There was a wonder in the rediscovery of one another. There was also the hunger of one who had fasted, or in this case abstained. It was a hunger that could only be satisfied by the other. If they could help it, they would never be separated for so long again.

Once he had replayed for her all the previous acts, with the exception of the complete one, for her, he decided to try a new sensation. With his tongue he teased the nipple of one breast into a hard point and then took it full in his mouth. As she arched and moaned, he murmured, "Did you like that?"

She was unable to respond so he moved over to the other side to repeat the action. Once again she groaned and begged, "Please, please."

But he wasn't done with her. Last week he had initiated her into the ultimate conjugal act. Now he wanted to explore with her the full pleasure which he knew that he could elicit from her body, if she would let him. Grasping her breasts with his hands and playing with the tips with fingers, he moved lower with his mouth until he found her.

She tasted sweet and within moments she was writhing in pleasure. He felt the first explosion beneath him and then rested his cheek on her belly to enjoy the aftermath as she moaned in pleasure. Determined to fully experience her response he entered her, more easily than before. It was as if she was welcoming him after a long separation. He abandoned himself to the pleasure of her and when he was done, fell on her.

He rested with his head on her shoulder, cuddled one breast in his hand. She cradled him and ran her fingers through his hair. He feel her heart pounding below his cheek, and of course his own was racing after the exertion. They were at rest. When their bodies had returned to normal, she said, "Hal?"

"Hmmm," he answered.

"That felt different," she said in wonder.

"I'll say," he answered smiling.

"No," she said seriously. "That felt different in another way."

"Can you explain it?" he asked.

She wasn't sure that she could. Physically, she had never even dreamt that such pleasure existed. Hal had found unexplored parts of her that he had aroused to a level of ecstasy beyond her imagination. Yet that of which she spoke, was a different level of ecstasy. This was a reunion with a past lover. This lover had not only shared her body, but had left his seed. She had born his child before. Her womb remembered, even if she did not. The desperate aching that she had felt, when she thought that he had been lost to her forever now made sense. His ability to know her mind made sense.

Hal was indeed her other half, a past lover, perhaps not husband, but certainly lover, with whom she had shared that most intimate of the male-female human experience. She would treasure each blessing God sent them. She would nurture each child within her very being, close to her heart. When the moment was right, she would sent it forth and present her husband with the fruit of their love. The temporary fear that she would not be able to conceive fell away. She knew that it was only a matter of time. It was an awesome responsibility. But the creation of all life was a responsibility. But they were ready.

Right now he was watching her closely, trying to discern her thoughts before she spoke them. Yet sadly he could not. And he could not discern what he did not understand. However, to her it made no difference. What they shared was unique and theirs alone.

"No," she said reluctantly, "I cannot explain it."

Or if I did, she thought, you would never believe it.

****

_To be continued . . ._


End file.
